It's 1984 in the Third Age

[alatar]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Interesting. The ruffians are thieves and they know it; they raise the houses without care. They're there to ravage and steal and take what isn't theirs. But the hobbits don't care for the houses either, as you point out. No sense of ownership. It seems that there's a piece of commentary from Tolkien here, on modern life. Shoddy work is done when, among other reasons, there is no sense of ownership. Is this Tolkien's anti-socialism popping up again?

I see, in the Scouring of the Shire chapter, a definitive statement about and against socialism, as the words 'gathering and sharing' show what typically happens when socialism is played out in life and not on paper.

Originally Posted by George Orwell

in Animal Farm
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

But in 1984 and the Shire it's not just socialism that's the problem. Lotho starts off by throwing his capital around, buying up what he can to sell in southern climes. Obviously there are hobbits that are more concerned with making a buck than maybe stifling the plans that Lotho has. Lotho, updating the Old Mill and creating new ones, was again trying to increase his profits, and someone had to build and maintain the mills, which I'm guessing would be hobbits. It's not until Lotho's plans go (I think, even for him) awry that we get into 'gathering and sharing', and this to me is less socialism and more feudalism (not that that's the right ism, and hopefully someone more knowledgeable can fill in the correct word).

Saruman, when he gets there, isn't a socialist but a totalitarian and a spoiler.

And in Orwell's world, I can see much of the same thing happening in a less socialistic state. In America, we chase the latest thing to consume, and with all of our 'stuff' in our 'castles' we can become less concerned with and more isolated from our fellow citizens. Even families can become estranged. Children come home from their government school and hide in their rooms with their computers and other toys while mom and dad are at work, or pursuing their desired hobby or in front of the tube, droning away.

In 1984 and in Saruman's version of the Shire, no one is connected to any other, and because of this, each can be picked off and removed by the authorities at will, as everyone is afraid to care.